Into the Fog
by Feathertickler
Summary: When Katara goes to the Earth Kingdom to help better ties between the two nations, she gets a lot more than the "change of scenery" her father told her about. AU Kataang. Ch 1: “Katara, I can assure that you will not be chosen. It might even be fun."


**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hello! Welcome to Into The Fog, my new AU Avatar fan-fiction! I really hope you enjoy it; I've been working on it for a while, outlining and typing and such. I'd LOVE, LOVE LOVE constructive criticism (what author doesn't?) so bring it on. C: I should say that the world really isn't too different from the show. There are still the four nations, still the war… I'm still using the ideas and characters from Avatar, I'm just changing them around to suit my own, story-telling needs. C: I'm going to warn you right now that this is Kataang. It's unavoidable to have to tell you straight out- I'm not going to have people yelling and complaining at me later on when it happens. So if you don't like it, don't read! Or do read, and try to ignore that part and enjoy the story for the story, because it actually does have a plot. It might start out and seem like a stereotypical "oh Katara's a princess, she has to marry!" story, but I can assure you it isn't. It's also rated T to be safe, as there may be some language and other content, and i'm always trying to be careful. So, that's really all I have to say for now. Other than this is really just a prologue, so I'll be rambling a bit to try and give out the idea of the story… SO THEN! Enjoy Chapter One, and don't forget to press that little review button!

**DISCLAIMER**: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, it's characters, world, or anything. That'd be way too cool. I do own the story, though, and some random original characters of mine.

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CHAPTER ONE: I Want To Feel Everything

"Wait… What?"

Cerulean eyes stared at the adults before them, widened in confusion. The girl they belonged to had crossed her arms almost defiantly, as if she was trying to ward off the understanding of what she was being told. The group of elders in front of her all looked serious… for once. She had never known them to be this serious, especially in comparison to the elders of their sister tribe. It was strange, looking at the differences between the two. Although she had only seen their council once, Pakku was once a member and was rather fond of telling everyone all about how unprofessional the southern council seemed. But strangely enough, she felt like she was up North as she felt all of their serious gazes.

"We're sending you to Ba Sing Se… to be a candidate for marriage to the prince." A voice finally answered, almost hesitatingly. Her eyes fell upon the source of the statement. Her own father! She should have felt betrayed, as her gaze on the chief of the tribe bordered on a glare. His own cerulean eyes were downcast, as if he himself was ashamed to ask his daughter to do such a thing. He was in his early forties, and while most members of the council were older than him he was the chief, having proven on multiple occasions his strong leadership skills. The tribe really looked up to him.

"So you came back from fighting a war to tell me this." She said slowly, lowering her eyes to the floor. She could feel her heart pounding in her ears, and those that knew her were aware that her temper was likely just boiling beneath the surface.

"That's not the only reason we came back," Chief Hakoda started hastily. "We needed supplies, the Earth Kingdom army was able to hold them off for two weeks while some of us came back to bring supplies to everyone." This was obviously the wrong things to say, as she gave a loud 'huff' and returned her eyes to him, actually full-on glaring now.

"So I was hardly important enough to tell I was being sent off for marriage?! You would have just had someone mention it to me in passing?" She demanded, almost slamming her fist on the table. The hasty replies of all of the council rang throughout the icy room.

Like most buildings in the Southern Water Tribe, it was made out of ice. Ice that never melted in the snowy wonderland. It was in the main building of the tribe, where all of the meetings and the like took place. It wasn't used too often while most of the tribe was off at war, but it had been opened up immediately when the small group returned. The council members (well not all of them; only one ship had returned for a brief break from guarding the bay to restock and visit for a few days with loved ones. Seeing them was as good an incentive to keep fighting as any, so it was sometimes allowed) were seated across the long table from the girl, who was easily identified as the only female in the room. Next to her sat a slightly older looking male: her brother. He had remained silent so far in an attempt to please the council, but he was looking very close to an outburst as the topic had suddenly taken a turn to his eighteen year-old sister getting married.

Pakku, easily the oldest member of the council, cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Katara, you have been of marrying age for two years now. Had it not been for your father's demands that you marry on your own time…" He looked troubled at this. Pakku was from the Northern Water Tribe, where women had even less rights than in the Southern one. Generally all girls were married at the age of sixteen, and they had no say in the matter. Pakku often remarked about how much "freedom" the women of the Southern Tribe received, likely because they had been separate from the Northern one for so many years that they had grown apart in some customs. To which Katara's Gran-Gran would respond with an icy look until he uttered a hasty apology to every woman within hearing range. She was really the only person who would control him, in a sense. It was funny to see, really.

The Southern Tribe had been a complete wasteland for as long as Katara remembered. They had been the victim of frequent Fire Nation raids, one of which had killed Katara's mother. So, it broke apart until there were a few small tribes scattered throughout the ice. Then, about three years ago a group from the Northern Tribe had come to help rebuild. Pakku had been one of them, and even after the tribe was restored to the way it must have once been (it was even better apparently, according to some of the older residents) he decided to stay. The reason, of course, being that he and Gran-Gran had gotten married. It was funny to think about, but also rather sweet, in Katara's opinion. Her Gran-Gran had been from the Northern Tribe, and before she ran away she had been engaged to Pakku. When he first stepped off the boat the two stared at each other for a full minute, before she punched him in the face, yelling "Why didn't you come after me?!" It seemed that she had actually cared for Pakku, just not the traditions of her home tribe. Still, the two reconciled quickly enough and were soon married. The first to get married in the new main building, in fact.

And so, it was slightly amusing that this same Pakku was talking about marriage as such at the present moment.

"Besides, you are a princess of this tribe and as such it is your duty to do things like this." Pakku was continuing on stiffly.

Technically, Katara and her brother Sokka were the prince and princess of the tribe, what with their father being the chief. It had never mattered before the tribe was rebuilt, however. Then, suddenly, they were being taught things that it was believed they should know if they were ever to lead them.

"_Still," _Katara thought sullenly. _"Sokka would be the one leading, being the oldest and male. I guess I'm just good for marrying off to better relationships with other kingdoms."_

"Katara has been told that she can marry on her own conditions." Her father said gravely, finally looking up from the frozen table, gloved hands clenched. "And if all goes well, hopefully she will be able to."

At this Katara and Sokka both looked at their father as if he had gone off the deep end, so to speak.

"Er, dad?" Sokka's voice filled the air for the first time since the meeting started. He sounded rather nervous, though. He had been trying so hard to get on the council's good terms- Katara knew that he was hoping to be sent off to war with his father and the other warriors. "Have you forgotten the meaning of the word 'marriage?'"

Their father managed a small smile at this, before continuing.

"No, son, although it has been many years, I have not forgotten it's meaning. What I meant to say was that Katara will only be a candidate for marriage. It certainly doesn't mean she will be chosen. In fact, it's highly unlikely she will be."

Even though this news made her hopeful, Katara couldn't help feeling slightly indignant.

"You don't think I'd be good enough to be chosen?" She inquired, raising an eyebrow. Her father's eyes widened and he shook his head.

"No no, that's not what I meant at all!" He tried to fix his mistake. "I just meant that it's mostly a show, inviting candidates from other nations. Just something to help strengthen political ties in such a turbulent time. Do you honestly think that the Earth Kingdom would appreciate if it's new heir to the throne had split loyalties? Or what if it was a waterbender? Or a firebender-"

"Firebender?" Sokka spoke up quickly, eyes narrowing. "Are you trying to say that the Earth Prince's advisors gad invited woman from the _Fire Nation-"_

"Not by their own choice." A bitter voice replied. Katara recognized it as that of Bato, who was somewhat of her father's "second in command." His arms were crossed, and he looked annoyed. "Of course the Fire Nation would have forced their own into something like this."

"Why?" Sokka's inquisitive reply was followed by a hollow laugh by another council member, someone known as Amak.

"Same reason they wouldn't want him marrying someone from another nation." He replied flatly, glaring at the wall as his jaw worked furiously. "They'd want the heir to the kingdom to be taught loyalty to the Fire Nation. Then it'd be easy for them to take the whole kingdom. Even if they didn't listen to their ruler, the resulting revolt would cause enough confusion for them to take the whole place."

"Then why didn't they just refuse their 'candidates?'" Katara reentered the conversation finally, looking at the elder men closely. "Couldn't they have just said 'Sorry, no?'"

"It's not that easy, Katara." Hakoda sighed, closely his eyes tiredly. "You don't just say 'no' to the Fire Nation. It's give them another reason to launch a siege on Ba Sing Se, and with the advancements since the last one, they might actually do it."

This was greeted by silence from the whole room. Sokka was muttering under his breath about 'stupid firebenders' and the elders were all giving each other looks that clearly said "Stop wasting time and get her to agree."

"So then… Why are you bothering to send me?" Katara broke the silence, looking at each adult slowly before finally letting her gaze fall on her father.

"It'll still help relations between us two." Hakoda replied, realizing that the question was more for him. He was her father, he was the one who should be explaining things to her. "And you'll be right in the palace, and with whoever the Fire Nation sends… it's more a gesture than anything, but then there's always the chance you might hear something that could help…" Katara nodded slowly, biting her lip. It made sense, she supposed. The Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes had been allies against the Fire Nation for almost ever. The war had been going on a long time… There was hardly anyone alive who remembered there now being one. Vaguely she registered that if the Air Nomads had been around, they might have been allies, too. But it was a loose word, because as far as she knew, nomads didn't _have_ armies or anything to fight with.

"I guess… I have no choice." She spoke up finally. All the eyes in the room fell on her. Sokka looked like he still didn't buy the whole thing, but her father smiled.

"Katara, I can assure that you will not be chosen. It might even be fun, to visit the Earth Kingdom. It's a beautiful place, you know…"

Katara realized he was trying to make her feel better, and it worked, really. She wouldn't be chosen. She was a waterbender. Surely they wouldn't want to risk little waterbending heirs? And it might be nice, trying to spy on Fire Nation, and live somewhere it didn't melt… She closed her eyes before speaking slowly, in a flat voice."Alright. I accept. I'll go to Ba Sing Se as a candidate to be the Earth Prince's bride."

There was a general murmur of relief among the council as she spoke. Hakoda smiled.

"Excellent! In a few days time you'll head out, then. Pakku and Sokka will accompany you-"

"WHAT?"

Sokka's exclamation caused everyone to become silent. They all looked over at him, some of the adults looking guilty. He seemed livid.

"What do you mean? I thought I was going out to war with all of you!" His strained voice echoed in the large room. Hakoda's smile fell immediately.

"Sokka, I think the best thing for you to do would be to guard your sister-"

"I'm nineteen years old, Dad! I should have gone to war a while ago! Why do you keep stopping me?" He interrupted, glaring almost ferociously at his father. He was on his feet, now. Hakoda also rose, staring him down.

"You're not ready. No one should want to go to war; it's an awful thing. You have no idea… I don't want to exposed to it yet. You'll be able to help in your own time, I want you to see the world before you see war and bloodshed, you don't understand what it's like-"

"Yeah, thanks to you." And with that, Sokka stormed from the room, slamming the door after him. Everyone stared at the door in shock.

"Should I go get him?" Katara inquired slowly. Hakoda shook his head. He looked older, somehow.

"I'll talk with him." And with that, he followed after his son. Katara was itching to go listen, but as the council members got up, chatting as they exited the room themselves she realized she had better go and inform her Gran-Gran of recent events. Her head was spinning as she walked down the hallways and out into the sun. Still, as angry as she was about the whole "marriage" idea, she couldn't help but be excited. She'd never been anywhere besides the Southern Water Tribe. She felt like it would be her own little adventure… or, at least better than doing chores in her tribe.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: Well I hope I didn't bore you too much with the first chapter! Next chapter will be better, I hope. ; D Soreviewplz. 8D


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